An Atlantic Division matchup takes place at Madison Square Garden tonight as the New York Knicks welcome the Boston Celtics to town. New York dispatched Boston with a six-game series win in the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals during last season’s postseason run. Boston will be seeking revenge for the postseason defeat, but the Celtics lineup is significantly less spooky without All-Star Jayson Tatum this time around. The Knicks have a good opportunity to take advantage of a team still figuring out how to operate on a one superstar system center around Jaylen Brown in 2025-26.
Game 2: Boston Celtics (0-1) @ New York Knicks (1-0)
Tip Off: 7:00 p.m. ET (Fri., 10/24/25)
Location: Madison Square Garden (New York, New York)
New York won a tough 119-111 opener against Cleveland, headlined by OG Anunoby’s 24-point, 14-rebound performance. The Knicks secured a fourth-quarter advantage and never looked back in the nine point win. Jalen Brunson struggled shooting the ball (5-of-19), but still posted 23 points in New York’s first win of the season.
Boston dropped its first contest, 117-116, after Payton Pritchard missed a 13-foot jump shot to win the game with one second left on the clock. The Celtics are in process of adjusting to a “new normal” with Brown serving as the sole superstar given Tatum’s season-ending Achilles injury. Brown was tied for the team-lead with 25 points in the loss to Philly.
| Knicks/Celtics Odds for 10/24/2025 | |
| Spread | NYK -3.5 |
| Money Line | BOS +136, NYK -162 |
| Knicks Over/Under (116.5 points) | Over -115, Under -120 |
| Game Over/ Under (229.5 points) | Over -115, Under -105 |
| Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook | Odds are subject to change |
According to DraftKings, the Knicks hold a 59% chance of winning tonight’s home matchup.
Prediction: Brunson Scores 30+ points
Boston’s backcourt struggled against the guard combination of Tyrese Maxey (40 points) and VJ Edgecombe (34) in their season opener. Now, the Celtics must attempt to slow down Brunson and Anunoby, two NBA veterans who know how to operate against NBA defenses. While the 30-point plateau is above Brunson’s 23-point average from the 2024-25 season, he scored 36-points against Boston in Feb. 2025 against a stiffer Celtics team. Brunson scored 39 points in a 121-113 win during Game 4 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Brunson has averaged 20 points per game in 20 career matchups against the Celtics, including eight-straight 20+ performances versus Boston. Brunson should have a solid opportunity to contribute a similar stat line tonight in Midtown Manhattan.
| Brunson Scoring Odds vs. Celtics for 10/24/2025 | |
| Brunson 25+ Pts | -197 |
| Brunson 28+ Pts | -110 |
| Brunson 30+ Pts | +131 |
| Brunson 35+ Pts | +318 |
| Brunson 40+ Pts |
+800 |
| Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook | Odds are subject to change |
The Celtics showed little ability to slow down the Philadelphia 76ers guards in their season-opening loss. Meanwhile, New York’s backcourt showcased an ability to take over a game in the fourth quarter and secure an important win against Cleveland. It’s going to be an interesting battle between these Atlantic Division clubs. If the Knicks can get the offense firing on all cylinders tonight at Madison Square Garden, New York should be able to push its record to 2-0 on the 2025-26 season.
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